Inspired by NCRA’s first ever Zero Food Waste Forum in 2014, the ZFWC, with funding from StopWaste, undertook a research project to identify the opportunities and barriers to recovering wasted food in Alameda County. NCRA published the findings in a report entitled Commercial Food Waste Reduction in Alameda County in 2017 written by: Ruth Abbe, Susan Blachman & Susan Miller Davis. The ZFWC also was awarded a grant from the Altamont Education Advisory Board in 2017 to follow up on this work and expand Alameda County’s capacity for wasted food reduction and recovery. ZFWC’s work focuses in three areas:

On-the-GroundThe ZFWC is supporting the efforts of community organizations, such as the Berkeley Food Network and All-In to End Hunger Alameda County, to expand food recovery and reduce food waste.

Policy Analysis and AdvocacyThe ZFWC is participating in statewide and local efforts to expand food recovery and limit food waste, including participation in CalRecycle’s SB1383 stakeholder engagement process and local policy and advocacy efforts.

EducationThe ZFWC is preparing updates and content for the NCRA audience regarding current developments in the field, providing input to educational content and outreach materials, and helping to organize NCRA’s second Zero Food Waste Forum being planned for Fall 2018.